Natural hazards · Patterson

Patterson, GA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Patterson comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Patterson?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Patterson to be higher than in 64% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes47%Inland flooding27%Tornadoes9%Cold waves6%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Patterson faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Hurricanes

47% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Inland flooding

27% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 32% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 21 years in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Patterson flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Patterson.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Patterson isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Pierce County.

Disasters that hit Patterson

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Patterson itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Patterson.

Brought FEMA money into PattersonDeclared for Pierce County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

729 households applied for aid $580K aid approved

2023

Hurricane Idalia

$19K to the City of Patterson for repairs

2017

Hurricane Irma

$25K to the City of Patterson for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

$13K to the City of Patterson for repairs

2009

Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds

5 households applied for aid $11K aid approved

Pierce County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Patterson is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Patterson’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Patterson. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.